Story by Nidhi Arora
Once, there was this orchard. In the orchard, an apple tree and an orange tree stood side by side. There was an orange and an apple that were really next to each other, and they became really good friends. As days passed, they both ripened, and were ready for plucking. They both knew, of course, that they would be plucked and taken to a big, big world outside. They decided that they will always be in the same basket and will always be together.
But when plucking time came, the orange was put in the orange basket, and the apple was put in the apple basket. Both of them didn’t like it and were inconsolable.
Then, another orange spoke to the crying orange and said “Never mind. It is not that you have lost a friend. It is that God has put you in a basket full of new ones. Look around you – all of us are waiting to be friends with each other.
When God closes a door, he always opens another one. But we are usually so busy looking at the shut door that we miss the ones just opened.”
The orange wiped his tears, looked around, and saw – so many other oranges just like him! On a tree, he would never get a chance to make so many friends! So, the orange started talking and listening, and was soon very happy to be among his new friends!
